Three Facilities Earn National Recognition

Three facilities local to Middle States were recently honored for excellence as 2013 USTA Facility Award winners.

Core Creek Park Tennis Center (Langhorne, Pa.), Germantown Cricket Club (Philadelphia) and the Junior Champions Tennis Center at Cadwalader Park (Trenton, N.J.) were among the 19 to earn recognition for excellence in construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. The group was honored through the 32nd annual USTA Facility Awards Program, and was recognized during the USTA Semi-annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Sept. 1.

Cadwalader Park, Trenton, N.J.

To be considered for an award, facilities must be under the jurisdiction of a parks and recreation department, an educational institution, a non-profit corporation, or private or commercially-owned and operated facility that offer both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis.

Each of the winning facilities were praised for their implementation of USTA programs, including 10 and Under Tennis.

Facilities were judged upon the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics, graphics; amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.

Awards presentation for Core Creek

Core Creek Park Tennis Center, built in 1975, has eight full-size courts and is a partner with the Bucks County Tennis Association, which won 2010 CTA of the Year. Owned and managed by the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation, the facility hosts USTA Junior and Adult leagues, sanctioned USTA tournaments, USTA Play Days, and district Jr. Team Tennis tournaments. Core Creek won in the Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 10 courts) category.

Germantown Cricket Club was founded in 1854 and is one of the oldest clubs in the United States. It has six full-size courts, 15 full-size clay courts, 24 full-size grass courts, a 36-foot court, one permanent 36-foot clay court, and four full-size indoor hardcourts. The club hosts the annual USTA Grass Court Championships tournament for both men and women, and has six USTA League teams, three USTA Cup teams and hosted the US Nationals (now the US Open) from 1921-1923, and the Davis Cup from 1924-1927. It was one of nine private facilities to earn the award.

The Junior Champions Tennis Center at Cadwalader Park, one of the most historic tennis areas in Middle States, features seven full-size hard courts, 14 permanent 36-foot courts, and is in the process of creating a two-story pavilion named after Dan Haggerty, who served as the head tennis pro at the facility. The NJTL of Trenton, which had more than 600 children participating in its summer program, operates the facility and is raising funds for the pavilion.